Quarterly APA Members Meeting
Focuses on Upcoming Road Construction

A massive construction project designed to improve safety and traffic flow in the area of Dussel Drive and U.S. 23 begins in the Spring of 2008. At the June 13, 2007, quarterly Arrowhead Park Association members gathering, Ohio Department of Transportation District 2 Deputy Director Dave Dysard presented a project update.

Dysard says some utility re-location work will begin in fall 2007 to prepare for major work in the spring. When that major work does proceed in spring 2008, motorists in the area of Arrowhead Park will notice the considerable impact of the project:

• Dussel Drive will narrow to one lane in each direction plus a shared center turn lane. The lane restrictions will take place between an area a few hundred feet west of the US 23 interchange and an area just east of Ford Street.
• At times, the US 23 interchange will be closed to allow for new on ramps to be built.

Once complete in early summer of 2010, travelers will enjoy the benefits of the massive project:

• Drivers will no longer need to stop at a traffic signal and turn left in order to enter the expressway from Dussel. Cloverleaf style ramps will be added allowing drivers to use the right lane to leave Dussel and loop around to 23.
• Elimination of left turns to get on 23 from Dussel will mean more time available for traffic exiting 23 onto Dussel.
• Dussel Drive will ultimately provide three lanes of travel in each direction as the result of street widening. Some 40 property owners are being contacted by ODOT over the summer to handle easement and eminent domain issues. A total of 82 properties are affected.
• Left turns along the main Dussel corridor will be limited by a concrete median designed to funnel traffic into designated areas deemed safe for left turns.

Mr. Dysard says that the new interchange cloverleaf elements are designed to be compatible with a possible braided interchange project involving Illinois Avenue years from now. That possible future project would allow traffic to use right lanes to exit onto either Illinois Avenue or Dussel Drive while staying out of the way of through traffic.

At the June 13 meeting, ODOT made preliminary engineering drawings available to the APA for public distribution:

View Engineering Drawing 1 - US 23 Interchange

View Engineering Drawing 2 - Dussel Drive

Download Engineering Drawing 3 - Entire Project (.tif file format)